From the Pastor – September 2025
“The Law is of no use whatever in the attainment of righteousness. Correctly understood, it makes people desperate; not correctly understood, it makes them hypocritical. The Gospel, not correctly understood, makes people secure; otherwise it makes them godly. This is why the Law has been given only for the sake of transgression (Gal. 3:19), so that people might intensely long for Christ.” [Luther’s Works: Weimar Edition, Table Talk 1, No. 1167]
The Sermon that is preached from a Lutheran pulpit is more than a summary/exposition of one of the particular Readings for the day. If this were all that it were then there would be no reason for it. Why would any words from a pastor, with the sole intent of retelling what has already been read, have any merit in them whatsoever? “During the Sermon, the living voice of the Gospel is delivered for the continuing life of the gathered guests, and this prepares worshipers for scattering into the world for the remainder of the week.” [Timothy H. Maschke, Gathered Guests: A Guide to Worship in the Lutheran Church (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2003), 154.]
The Sermon is never to merely be an inductive Bible Study, measuring out the Law of God and creating a check list of how we are best to perform it. As Luther said, when this is how the Law is preached people will turn inward and begin to look at how they can best fulfill the commands of God. Self-satisfaction and hypocrisy are sure to follow. Neither is the Law to be the only thing preached. When this happens, even if it is preached correctly, all that is left is a congregation of terrified sinners. The Law has done its deed. It has crushed them like a mighty hammer; it has shown them a mirror of their sinful ways. If left alone at this point the hearers can only turn to one of two options. Either they will be lost in despair, or they will ignorantly attempt to work their way out of their guilt.
A sermon cannot always and only be about the Gospel either; for as Luther states above, it will falsely make people secure. If the only thing that is said to a congregation is the saving Gospel message, it is a useless and pointless thing. Why would someone need a Savior if they don’t need to be saved? Why would a congregation need Christ if they have never been told that they are sinners? That is why, “The Gospel is not merely a mention of Jesus or of God’s love for the world. It proclaims God’s gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation through faith in Jesus.” [Maschke, 154] The Gospel is more than just a story, it frees us from damnation and the congregation needs to continually be reminded of this.
And so when a Lutheran pastor stands in the pulpit and speaks the Word of God to the congregation He must speak both the Law and the Gospel. He must pronounce both damnation and salvation. In order to do this He must preach the Law in all of its sternness so that there is not a single soul who is able to avoid its crushing blow. But then He must preach the Gospel with all of its sweetness so that all might know the forgiving salvation that comes only from God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
“Some, indeed, may say: ‘That is not the way for an evangelical minister to preach.’ But it certainly is; he could not be an evangelical preacher if he did not preach the Law (and Gospel) thus. The Law must precede the preaching of the Gospel, otherwise the latter will have no effect. First comes Moses, then Christ; or: First John the Baptist, the forerunner, then Christ. At first the people will exclaim, How terrible is all this! But presently the preacher, with shining eyes, passes over to the Gospel, and then the hearts of people are cheered. They see the object of the preacher’s preceding remarks: he wanted to make them see how awfully contaminated with sins they were and how sorely they needed the Gospel.” [Walther, C. F. W., The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986), 83.]
Rev. Eli Lietzau
